Bruce Froemming, longtime NL and MLB umpire, dealt the already shaky reputation of umps another blow by acidly couching his distaste for umpire administrator Cathy Davis in anti-Semitic terms. If you haven't already read the exact pithy phrase he used, check it out if you have the stomach for it.
Froemming has always been regarded as one of the best balls-strikes guys in the game, with a "one of the boys" reputation that he himself took too far when he went autograph hunting in the Dodgers' locker room in 1996.
I see two important issues here being raised. First, this is right up there in the Campanis/Lott/Rocker pantheon; when public figures make comments so repugnant in front of a microphone, it begs questions such as "If that's what they're saying in public, what are they actually thinking? And how often must they think it?"
Importantly, this is not a question of so-called "political correctness." As I understand the term, "political correctness" describes a cynical attempt to use a rival's own benign words as a weapon to cast aspersions upon the speaker's motivation. "Political correctness" is the turfing of a teacher for use of the (admittedly arcane) word "niggardly," or June Rowland banning the Barenaked Ladies. More recently, when Democrats object to the confirmation of Miguel Estrada to a Court of Appeals judicial post because Estrada simply refuses to answer questions about cases on which his views are expected to run towards the extreme, Orrin Hatch is using "politically correct" means to laughably accuse the Democrats of racism.
No, ol' Bruce here engaged in simple, unadulterated hate. In addition to how this reflects on the man's character for making this statement in the year 2003, there are some on-the-field baseball concerns as well. When Froemming sees Shawn Green or Brad Ausmus at bat, what is he thinking? Can we be sure that his attitude won't affect his ability to make close calls?
I apologize if this is sounds too sanctimonious. Any thoughts as to what can be done to keep clowns like this from continuing to sully baseball's reputation?
The second issue is a broader one about umpires' accountability. Froemming is used to be in the baseball umpire's favoured position of being able to taunt, insult and spew profanities at players, coaches and managers with impunity. In what other sport can an official just let loose on a participant -- and then eject the player for responding? Most of us remember from our summers as teenagers that there exists no arrogance on earth like that of low-level store managers and amateur baseball umps.
Even conceding the obvious, namely, that umpires have more judgment calls to make than any other sports officials, why is it so difficult to hold umpires accountable in baseball? Every other sport permits controversial in-stadium replays without bringing about the Armageddon. Every other sport conducts officials' performance reviews without controversy. Every other sport has officials that don't eagerly pursue and inflame on-field disputes.
Remember, whether we liked it or not, MLB crushed the umpires' union on salary issues. Why can't baseball similarly demand accountability?
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20030131033417999